“This is on order of the king.”
The captain cuts him off, his voice fairly neutral, but I can see the gleam in his eyes. He knows he’s won the argument. There is only one thing that trumps the gods chosen, and that is the royals.
Caleb’s mouth snaps shut. There is nothing he can do, not if this was an order that came directly from the king himself. Jaw tense, he glances at me once before returning his attention to the captain. He dips his head in a jerky nod and takes a step back, acknowledging that he won’t get in the way of the guards.
“Guards,” the captain snaps, creating a flurry of activity as three of his men break away and stand behind each of us.
My guard grabs my arms and yanks them behind my back, tightly binding my wrists together. I wince, but don’t make a noise, not wanting to give them the satisfaction. Pushing me forward, the guard leads me to a spot besides one of the other widows, lining us up.
A quite sob ignites something inside me. I look at the widow beside me, her head bowed and small shoulders shaking as she tries to hide her tears. Glancing over at the other woman I see her standing in much the same way.
This is shameful for them. Forced to wear veils that mark them as who they are, it also offers them protection, hiding their identity. The guards are about to strip that from them. Anger overpowers my fear and trepidation, this is cruel and from the look of the guards who watch on, they are enjoying the show.
Disgusting cowards, that is what they are. Finding amusement in causing a woman distress, one that is already suffering due to the rules that they enforce. My punishment isabout to come, the least I can do is try and make this easier for them.
“Stop.” My voice croaks and I swallow the lump at the back of my throat, needing my words to be clear. “You don’t need to expose them. It is me.”
Everyone’s attention turns to me, including the two women beside me, surprise flashing in their eyes. Self-sacrifice isn’t something that is seen often around here, especially for the marginalised.
I’ve taken the captain back, his brows raised as he runs his eyes over me. For a moment, I think that it has worked and the others will be spared. His expression becomes shrewd and my hopes shatter.
“How do I know that they are not your accomplices? You could be trying to protect them.” Gesturing widely, he once more addresses those watching, building up the witch-hunt fever. “One of you was seen with another today, they could be standing right here.”
There is no talking him out of it, his mind is already made up but that spark that was ignited inside me won’t just sputter out and allow me to quietly stand down. No, I have to keep trying so I know I’ve done everything I could.
“I am telling you that it wasme.” I allow some of that ire to seep into my voice as I glare up at him. “I am the one who committed the crime. Do not shame them any further than you already have.”
He stares at me and I see the truth of it in his eyes, he already knows the women beside me are innocent. All I am doing is just talking myself further into my guilt. Lifting his chin, he clears his throat to be heard. “Remove their veils.”
“You bastard,” I hiss, jerking forward only to be pulled back by the guard behind me.
From the corner of my eye I see Caleb stepping forward, attempting to stop the guards, but he’s too slow. Black cloth hits the ground and noises of distress reach me from the two women. Empathy hits me hard and it is as though their feelings are my own. Their shame, fear and distress making my body react and I’m completely helpless to do anything of use.
The women try to cover their faces with their hands, blinking against the light which must seem blinding without their scarfs to protect their eyes. However, no one pays attention to their appearance, but the bronze bands on their upper arms. Not the black of the sullied, but a regular widow just trying to live her life.
The captain stares at me, raising a brow as though he’s surprised by the turn of events. “Well, it seems you were telling the truth.” Reaching out, he rips away my headscarf and veil, tugging roughly and pulling at my hair in the process.
A quiet gasp of pain escapes my lips before I can stop it, and my masses of sunset pink hair spring free. However, it’s my arm that burns more as everyone stares at the black band on my arm. Whispers start up in the crowd, their combined voices loud and indistinct, except for one word that seems to stick out. Sullied. Everyone knows of the pink haired sullied girl, in fact, I’ve become a bit of a legend among the Gutter, the type of story that’s told to children to get them to behave. Here I am, standing before them all, accused of being a witch.
“I should kill you where you stand, sullied scum,” the captain snarls, closing the distance between us and shoving his face up to mine. Pulling back his upper lips, his sour breath washes over me as he lets his dark little fantasies play out in his mind. I’ve met men like him before, ones who revel in causing pain to women, and this one is even more dangerous because of his position of power. “Oh how I want to string you up for everyone to see as we whip the evil out of you. That’s not happening todaythough…” he trails off, expression hardening. “The king has other plans for you.”
Six
The captain of the guard steps back, brushing a hand down his uniform to rid himself of any traces of sullied germs he might have contracted by being so close. The idea that being sullied could be contagious is ridiculous, but it’s yet another way the guards can control us.
Turning his attention to the widows weeping on the ground, he shakes his head and sweeps an arm in their direction. “Dispose of these and get the sullied ready for travel.”
Dispose ofthese? He is talking about people that deserve more respect than being treated like trash. The way he speaks makes it sound like they can simply be thrown away and got rid of. My blood runs cold as the guards lift the women and drag them away, a horrific thought coming to me. The guards wouldn’t kill them, would they? That can’t be what the captain meant when he ordered them to be disposed of.
“What are you going to do with them?” I demand, struggling against the hold the guard as on me, baring my teeth at the captain.
All of my effort is for nothing as he barely looks at me, simply gesturing to the guards that are closing in around me. A piece offabric appears in my vision and is quickly shoved into my mouth, tied tightly behind the back of my head, gagging me.
There’s a flurry of activity around me, the shouts of those watching and the voices of the guards as they follow out orders. A low ringing noise sounds in my ears, my senses totally overwhelmed with how everything has changed so quickly. Lifting my head, I let my gaze skim over the crowd, their jeering cries and furious faces all aimed at me now it’s been decided I’m not only sullied, but a witch. Their faces all blur into one, until I see a familiar set of eyes in the distance.
Ella.
My heart squeezes painfully in my chest and this only increases as I see the tears rolling down her cheeks. Seeing her here, watching me being taken away… it awakens an ache deep down inside my soul that I’m not sure can ever be healed.
